Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “dowless” come from?

dowless (English) comes from English Dow, from Middle English douen, from Old French douer, from Latin doto, from Latin dōs, from Proto-Italic dōtis, from Proto-Indo-European déh₃tis, from Proto-Indo-European -tis — Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots.

dowless (English): Feeble; lacking spirit or activity; shiftless

Definitions

  1. Feeble; lacking spirit or activity; shiftless

Ancestry of “dowless”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishDow—
2Middle EnglishdouenTo be helpful or beneficial; to have worthiness...
3Old Frenchdouerto endow
4LatindotoI endow
5Latindōs—
6Proto-Italicdōtis—
7Proto-Indo-Europeandéh₃tisgiving
8Proto-Indo-European-tisDerives abstract/action nouns from verb roots
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tis →